Is a new Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assault on the Gaza Strip imminent? Israel has on Sunday cut all electricity to the Strip, in a move which typically signals some kind of escalation in military operations.

Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister announced in a video message that Israel would use "all means available … to ensure the return of all Israeli hostages" and to force Hamas out of Gaza.

"I just signed an order for the immediate halt of electricity to the Gaza Strip," Cohen confirmed. There had already long been lengthy blackouts throughout the Hamas-Israel war.

Hardline Israeli politician Itamar Ben Gvir praised the move:

"The Gaza Strip must be completely and immediately blacked out as long as even one Israeli hostage is being held there," he said.

"Israel must bomb the huge fuel depots that entered the Strip as part of the unfortunate deal, as well as the generators operated by Hamas."

Some 2.3 million Palestinians are in the Gaza Strip, and those that have electricity supplies are mostly reliant on generators. The scant remaining supplies going into the Strip have effectively been cut by Israeli authorities.

Hamas is demanding access to all resources, and the return of humanitarian shipments from outside countries and international organizations.

"We call on mediators in Egypt and Qatar, as well as the guarantors in the US administration, to ensure that [Israel] complies with the agreement … and proceeds with the second phase according to the agreed-upon terms," Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, told Agence France-Presse.

The White House seems to have grown more quiet on pushing the controversial Trump plan to push all Palestinians out of Gaza in order to build a "Rivera on the Mediterranean".

Still, Trump has warned there will be "hell" to pay if all Israeli captives aren't released. Media estimates commonly say the following of those that remain:

Fifty-nine hostages are thought to remain in Gaza, more than half of whom are thought to be dead, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Five of the 59 are American Israelis, only one of whom – Edan Alexander – is still alive.

On Sunday, senior Hamas official Taher Al Nunu was quoted by Al Aqsa TV – a channel affiliated to the militant group – as saying that it did not oppose releasing Alexander as part of negotiations to end the war.

A phase one ceasefire deal has held and been completed, but it's an open question whether it will hold into a phase two. For now, the guns have still remained silent, and there is an uneasy truce.